Rubber heel.



G. K.` MALTBY.

RUBBER HEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. ma.

Patented Nov.9,1 915.

I 351,' btoznea l which will not v GEORGE K. MALTBY, or New YORK, N. Y.

RUBBER HEEL.

To all whom imag/concern Be it known that I, GEORGE K. MALTBY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Heels, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete disclosure.

My invention 1/0 boots and shoes relates to rubber heels for of various kinds and the objects of my invention are to provide a rubber heel which, while having all of the advantages of a plain rubber heel, yet will notbe liable to slip on wet or slippery surfaces, be liable to damage hard wood 'loors'and which will be strong and durable. I accomplishthese objects by incorporating into the body of the rubber forming the heel a plurality of elongated preferably soft metallic strips, wires or shreds disposed at an acute angle to the lower surface of the heel and having their lower ends exposed at the lower surface of the heel. These strips, wires or shreds are preferably made of a soft metal such as lead or aluminum so that while they will prevent slipping, yet they will wear smooth at their exposed ends and remain substantially flush with the surface of the rubber. They may, however, be made of any other exible material.

In the drawings accompanying and forming apart of this specification, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention.l In this drawing Figure 1 is'a side elevation of a shoe with my improved heel attached, a portion of the heel being shown in vertical section. Fig. A2 is a bottom view of the heel and Fig. 3 is a vertical trans- 40 verse section through the rubber portion of the heel taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the structureillus- 4trated, the numeral 1 designates the rub er heel, which in Fig. 1 is shown attached to the shoe 2 in any suitable manner, as by means of screws, not shown, inserted in the holes 8. Numeral 4 designates a plurality of elongated wires embedded in the rubber forming -the heel and having their lower ends exposed at the bottom of the heel. The

body portions an acute angle to the top and bottom surfaces of the rubber heel so that the resiliency of the rubber will'not be destroyed, as

Specification of Letters Patent.

lmore easily adhere of these wires are disposed at Patented Nov. Si), 1915.

Application filed May 9, 1913. Serial No. 766,526'.

would be the case if the wires we/re vertically disposed, or perpendicular to the Y lower surface of the heel. The wires or friction members may bemade of any suitable material, such as lead, aluminum, brass, steel, etc., though they are preferably made of soft material for the reasons above stated. In the drawing these friction members are shown in the form of wires, having slight undulations therein so that the rubber will to them. In practice, however, they may be in the form of lstrips or shreds or any other shape so long as they are elongated and flexible. They may -be straightl and smooth though an irregular surface is more desirable. In the single embodiment which I have illustrated, these friction members are disposed throughout the body of the heel. It is to be understood, however, that in practising my invention they may be disposed only throughout the rear portion of the heel as there is more tendency for the heel to wear away or slip at this part.

While I have described only one embodiment of my invention, I am aware that other embodiments may be constructed without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in my claims. What I claim is:

1. A rubber vheel of the kind described having V a body ofelastic material with a Y plurality of elongated friction members embedded therein, each having the entire area of its lower end exposed at the lower surface of the heel and its body disposed at an acute angle to said surface, substantially as Y described. A

2. A rubber heel of the kind described,

having a body of elastic material with a plurality of elongated friction members embedded therein arranged substantially par-' each having its lower lower surface ofthe inclined with respect to allel with each other, end exposed at the heel, and its body the lower surface of the heel, substantially as described.

3. A rubber heel of the kind described, having a body of elastic material with a` plurality of elongated soft metallic fr1c` tion members embedded therein arranged substantially parallel with each other, each having its lower end exposed at the lower surface of the heel, and its body inclined with-respect to the lower surface of the top surface' thereof in a slanting direction heel, luhstlllitiallly ns (jleslribgll. b from back to front.

4. ru er ee o t e 'nd desc ed l having a body of elastic material with a plu- GEORGE K MALTBY'- s rality of elongated wires embedded therein, Witnesses:

each having its lower end exposed at the JAMES J. COsGRoVE, lower surface thereof and extending to the JOHN W. PETERS. 

